Governor sets June 4 target date to reopen Nevada casinos

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Ahead of the holiday weekend, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced he will hold a press conference on Tuesday, May 26 to discuss the next phase in Nevada’s reopening plan, as outlined in Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery.

Saturday marks two weeks since Phase 1 began. Since that time, the LEAP and the Governor’s Office have been monitoring the first phase of reopening, analyzing data trends, and evaluating potential plans for Phase 2.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak spoke to Nevada’s business community on Friday during a webinar sponsored by the Vegas Chamber.

During the webinar that had over 1,000 people watched it, according to one of the moderators, Gov. Sisolak discussed an update on the “Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery” plan and provided some information on the phased approach to the reopening of the state as well as what the next steps will be. He also answered questions from members of the Vegas Chamber.

“I’m thankful for the Nevadans who have stepped up every day to be part of the solution,” Sisolak said. ” I’m proud of how Nevadans have reacted in the crisis. Together we have worked to flatten this curve.”

In regards to the coronavirus pandemic, Sisolak says the state was once considered an area that could have been a hot spot, but now we are at 8% because of our testing. He said we are doing a lot of testing in the state.

The Vegas Chamber has been working with the state’s Business Information Network , the Business Emergency Operations Committee and the local Empowerment Advisory Panel (LEAP) to provide businesses with information and resources as they face the pandemic crisis.

“We are honored to have Governor Sisolak address our Vegas Chamber members and share with them the latest information on Nevada’s response to COVID-19. We appreciate all the Governor is doing to lead our state during this unprecedented time.”

Mary Beth Sewald, president and CEO of the Vegas Chamber.

During the webinar, one of he first things Sisolak addressed was how much Nevada’s economy was booming before COVID-19. He said “Businesses are propelling our economy, and we were on an enormous trajectory.”

Owners and staff of small businesses have suffered the most, which is why the Governor said “We’re really looking forward to working with the Chamber to come up with ideas that can really help small businesses.”

When asked about Nevada’s economy and whether he has any idea of when we will gt back to how we were before the pandemic Gov. Sisolak said, “Wow, I don’t know how we can look at that. I don’t think there is any hope to getting back to that until we get a vaccine.”

Governor Sisolak also spoke about the importance of making sure tourists are comfortable to return to Las Vegas because they have seen the way the state has handled the coronavirus pandemic, and have taken notice in the way we have flattened the curve. He said that when tourists come back to the state it’s important for them to know that Nevada is the safest place based on our coronavirus numbers.

“We can bring back the economy, but we can’t bring back the lives,” Sisolak said.

Due to the pandemic, budget cuts may be a huge factor to help in the recovery.

“When it comes to budget cuts, we’re going to have a lot that we’re going to have to look at,” Sisolak said. “We’re trying to get more money.”

When the Governor was talking about more money, he was referencing the federal government. He said these funds will give the state more resources, but he says overall when it comes to the state, “we’re looking at an enormous shortfall.”

In regards to education in the state, Sisolak says they still have to come up with a plan for the 2020-21 school year so we’re covered, just in case we still have to practice social distancing. He said “we’ve got to make a decision probably in the next two months or so.”

There’s no word on whether or not the Governor will extend the eviction moratorium that is set to expire at the end of the month, but after receiving numerous emails, calls, and letters from landlrds, it’s something that he is looking at closely because he says his office has learned that people have “taken advantage of it in a way that it was not intended.”

He says they have to make a decision on whether or not they will extend it.

When it comes to moving into Phases 2 and 3 and getting gaming back open, Sisolak said “I promise to work as hard as we can to get things back on track.”

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